Self-Made Boys is so far taking the most liberties with the original Great Gatsby when it comes to the original characters. Gatsby and Nick are both transgender, Tom is not nearly as horrible and is almost seen in a neutral light, Daisy is Hispanic and pretending to be white. It is unlike the other novels we have read, like Nick and BLF, which were meant to be in the same timeline as the original.

Self-Made Boys focuses more on the romantic plot points as well; there is a possible romance between Nick and Gatsby beginning while Nick is trying to set Daisy up with Gatsby. It is also focusing more on racial politics, and Nick has a rich internal dialogue throughout the book.

This version of Nick I am really appreciating, he is an opinionated and thoroughly interesting character in comparison to the other books we have read. We also see him becoming friends with Tom, which is very interesting considering that Tom would most likely not be fond of Nick’s identity.

This novel is a work of imagination, drawing on the original novel for its rich commentary on American culture and incorporating additional accepted views from the 21st century to highlight a seldom-discussed struggle from American history.

Many people are uneducated about LGBTQ+ history and believe transgender people are a relatively new concept; however, gender is primarily a social construct, and trans people have existed for as long as human beings have.

While the creative liberties are by the dozen in this novel, I can appreciate the commentary on the culture of the 20’s from a perspective that is often overlooked and even not known about. It is important to have period pieces with people whose stories have not been told. While at times this book may not feel very relevant to the original text due to its significant differences, I think it is necessary to retell stories about American culture from an LGBTQ perspective.

From the social politics Nick has to navigate at work, with friends, family, and the anxiety he has when Gatsby figures out he is trans. The want Nick has to feel accepted and yet not known; it provides a rich read for the multiple layers added to the original story.